Stolen HeART: The Rookie
by Wordy
Summary: Bella was a professional with a life time of experience...Edward? Well he had just six months! A thank you short story for all those who read Stolen HeART
1. Chapter 1

Stephenie Meyer's owns Twilight.

**A thank you short story to those who read Stolen HeART!**

**Smooches Katydid2363!**

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**Stolen HeART**

**The Rookie**

**Edward...**

The weight of my body pounded against my aching feet. The rough trail up the side of the mountain had just gotten that bit steeper and I groaned inwardly as the back of my calves stretched under duress, the burn of stretching muscles finally taking their toll. My bare legs were dirty from the kickback of dust and grit and my heart rate increased along with the sweat on my back.

The uneven path had slowed me down on more than one occasion and even though the majority of people that were on this trek were hikers and walking enthusiasts, it didn't make it any easier to navigate around them. With the heat increase and the wind dying down, I struggled to find the enthusiasm in this grand scheme of mine.

Up until now I had kept my eyes focused on the legs in front of me, but now that I was physically hurting from the run, I shifted my eyes to his upper body and cursed out loud.

"You son of a bitc-" I said breathlessly.

Emmett's cackle broke my sentence or was it my now erratic breathing? I couldn't tell. We had been at this for most of the morning and though I was now in my second month of training with Emmett, it hadn't got any easier.

I never thought in a million years that while I sat around our dining table which had quickly become the epicentre of our plan that I'd listened intensely to and what can only be described as surreal, that several months later I would be subjected to some of the cruellest forms of torture. Exercise! I mean Emmett's form of exercise.

I used to run every other morning. I kept myself in shape and with Bella in my life I ate well, not the rich indulgent French cuisine but healthy food. We were still active even though we were now juggling family life. We always made time for ourselves, long walks on a Saturday and the park on Sundays with Charlotte. It didn't seem necessary in Paris to want to drive everywhere. We had everything at our doorstep and we made do with one car between us so I was quietly confident that I could tackle what they threw at me. So when the people around our dining room table decided on that fatal day that I would play a key part in this operation I just assumed that I'd sit behind a desk, make calls and surf the net. How wrong could I be?

"Christ, Edward, keep up!"

On hearing my name I looked up and caught the tail end of a frown as it left Emmett's face. He hadn't even broken out in a sweat. His chest wasn't furiously moving up and down like mine and his hair though shorter than my mop of mess was completely dry. Bastard!

"You're doing this on fucking purpose," I managed to say before resting my clammy hands on the front of my thighs. Even my back ached. I watched him walk over to a small bolder that was partially hidden by the drooping branches of the tree behind.

"What? Do you think Bella's sitting at home in ya French town house watching Leverage?" he said as he flicked the lid of his water bottle open.

"Huh?" I regretfully looked on as he took along gulp of water, wishing now I hadn't drunk mine so quickly three miles back. I shook my head to focus on what he had just said. I didn't understand why he mentioned Bella. She had nothing to do with me moaning about my training. It was Emmett who was organising the training sessions not Bella.

"Oh come on Edward. Don't make out you don't know what _she _has to prepare for." I stood up straight and lifted up the front of my damp t-shirt. My face was wet from the drops of sweat that was coming from the ends of my hair and I made a mental note to wear a baseball cap tomorrow.

"You're fucking delirious Em, I have no clue what you're talking about."

"The muscle tone sessions down at the gym, the beauty treatments, the waxing!" He winked at the last word and before I could question him further he stood up and stretched his legs. "She needs to be the most desirable woman at that auction house. No man will be able to resist the Bella Booty. I mean you didn't, I didn't. I don't see why those guys would be any different."

It took me awhile to process what had just happened. The words Bella Booty still swirled around my head and something about Emmett and me not being able to resist her had clouded the part of my brain that understood sentences. I was so focused on Emmett that the sudden sound of a person coughing behind me made me jolt from my trance. I mumbled an apology as I stumbled to the side so that the elderly man and his party could continue their walk.

"Edward, are you okay? You look a bit pale." I lifted my hand to silence him while my other hand clenched the material of my shirt. My head down with my eyes staring at my scruffy trainers, I tried to breathe through my nose to calm myself down.

"Edward?"

"Wait," I hissed impatiently. I could hear him sigh as he started to get bored with this conversation and I snapped my head to the side to look at him. His eyes widened from my strange behaviour "You're telling me that Bella is sprucing herself up so she can flirt with whoever is in that room?" My face was so tight with tension that I barely opened my mouth to allow the words out. My rage was on red as I moved towards Emmett, my body rigid with the flow of anger rushing through my veins. "That her research mode isn't background checks and family connections but to look like she's available for any man to fuck her." My own loud voice rang through my ears drowning out the distant rumble of conversation. Emmett grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me to the side as a party of children gasped at my colourful language. I heard the disapproving sound of a grown up nearby and small voices informed each other and the guide that I had said a naughty word.

"Calm down you idiot, we're on a public footpath," he whispered as I jerked my arm from his hand

"Don't tell me to calm down, you've just told me-"

"Shhh...Pipe down, geez..." He rolled his eyes before picking up his water bottle and took another swig.

"Stop telling me to calm down. You've just told me that my wife is getting ready to be eyefucked and-"

"She's not your wife."

"What?"

"You said wife. She's not your wife, not yet anyway," he said in a nonchalant voice. My mouth gapped opened as I looked at Emmett. He seemed completely unaware of what his flippant remarked had just caused.

Ignoring my reaction he looked down at his wristwatch. "I thought you'd be pissier at the other part of the sentence," Emmett grumbled. I took a step back as I absorbed his last statement. My eyes narrowed as I tried to recall what else he had said. I replayed Emmett's words in my head and as the penny slowly dropped, my body shook from my uncontrollable temper. I lunged forward knocking Emmett to the ground.

"You fucker!" I managed to spit out as I pressed my body weight against his chest.

"Hey, get off me you whack job. What the fuck..." With little effort from Emmett, he pushed me off and I fell on my back. The dust from our scuffle caused me to cough and I waved my hand in front of my face to clear the air.

"I thought she told you." He sounded like a child trying to shift the blame "It's not like it was yesterday, you weren't even on the scene," he mumbled as his hands swept over the front of his shorts and shirt. "I'm with Rose now, and yeah, though Bella's still smoking hot I don't see-" He stopped in mid sentence his hands paused from dusting himself off as he noticed my expression. I slowly stood up, my eyes never leaving his.

"I'd shut it, if I were you, Em," I warned him through gritted teeth and he took a step back to keep some space between us.

I hesitated for a moment as I weighed my options. I could see my silence was making him uncomfortable. Yet I knew if I asked him any questions about what had happened between them it would only agitate me more and who's to say he would even divulge anything. I wasn't immune to their secrets in the past that much I did know. What I already knew had been an accident on Emmett's part, a slip of the tongue. Without saying a word I swiped his water bottle from the rock and turned back the way we had come.

"Hey...Edward...Ah come on man...Don't be like this."

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**Bella...**

"There it is, see? It's only a subtle change, but that is definitely a false wall."

"Ah yeah, I see it now. Wow, ever thought of going into the property market Bella?" I smiled at James and nudged my glasses back up my nose. The kitchen counter was littered with blueprints, some old some more recent.

With the dining room set up as the central hub for the team and our office now housing all my equipment, we were running out of space. Jasper was arriving next month to reconstruct the office, make it more user-friendly and to give us some of the space back we'd lost over the last several months or so.

With the technology that was out at the moment Alice didn't need to spend all her time travelling between here and Esme Island. Carlisle's and Esme's peaceful retirement was slowly vanishing every time Alice had to make the journey to us. So we decided to house the technical side of the heist in London nearer the time. She was in constant contact with us and if we needed to call an emergency meeting Emmett had rigged the phone system to house conference calls via satellite from Esme Island. With a flick of a button Alice or Jasper would be on our screen within seconds.

Christie's in London, Kensington had now been confirmed as the auction house where the bidding for the Diamond would be held. I was pleased with this. Having spent a few years of my youth in London I was familiar with its surroundings. Christie's was located in an unassuming area. It was a few streets away from the busy Kensington road that housed the National and Science Museums and that lead to the infamous Knightsbridge road. Christie's was situated on the Old Brompton road. It was a mixture of resident chic and local businesses. Bohemian designer shops with large over spaced windows with very little on show. A large Lamborghini dealership was perched on the corner. Men would sit for hours outside the coffee shop that sat on the opposite side of the road and lovingly looked on as their dream car was whisked away.

"Sounds like Edward's home," James mentioned as we both heard the rattle of his key in the lock. I looked briefly at my watch and noted that he hadn't been gone long. I returned my attention back to the blueprints, me making notes in pencil at certain points on the map and James calculating the time and distance between each room we would need to go through.

The front door closed with a deliberately loud bang and we both flinched at the same time before looking at each other with concern.

"Bella?" Edward shouted. I could hear the tone of his voice and knew instantly that something was wrong. I shrugged my shoulders at James, who on coming to the same conclusion, frowned at me.

"In here Edward," I called back. His footsteps were heavy and fast. I began to gather the prints together.

"Oh," Edward said with disappointment as he spotted James. I turned back to look at James then back at Edward who was now making his way to the fridge. His hair was in its usual dishevelled mess and his sodden shirt was clinging to his chest. Even though the waft of his workout followed him into the room and his skin still glistened, I found myself wishing that James wasn't here.

"You okay?" I asked. His head ducked behind the open fridge door as I waited for an answer. Once again I looked at James with a puzzled expression and this time it was him that shrugged.

"Me?" he asked as he closed the fridge door. He clenched his fist with his thumb sticking out and pointed at his chest. "I couldn't be better." He tried to sound casual but instead his words seemed distorted and full of sarcasm. He twisted the cap off the small water and took a gulp but not before mimicking a silent saluted cheer towards us with his bottle.

"Right, well...um I think it's my cue to go," James said uncomfortably. He started to roll up the rest of the plans and look for the lid of the tube shaped container they came in

"James, you don't have to leave," I protested. I glared at Edward who took no notice.

"Yeah, I wanna talk to my wife," Edward interjected. He looked straight back at me as if James wasn't in the room and I pursed my lips with embarrassment.

"I should go anyway. Emmett's probably reached my place by now." I reached over to gather up his lightweight jacket along with his driving gloves. James had a habit of leaving something behind.

Emmett and Rose were staying with James until they moved to London. It was decided on our first meeting as a team again that Em and Rose would do most of the outdoor surveillance. As of yet they had little or no responsibilities and though they had bought a house in Italy they were in no rush to fill it with children. Rose was keen to learn as much as she could about what we did and Emmett was more than pleased to assist. We had arranged a penthouse flat in London within walking distance of the auction house for them along with false identities and credentials. Rose had managed to snag a position at the auction house as part of the catering staff with the help of a fake resume and a glowing reference from Edward.

"He'll need these," Edward said flatly as he tossed a set of car keys at James before he leaned back against the kitchen counter and folded his arms across his chest.

"I thought he dropped you off?" James said with a hint of confusion. Edward only responded with a small shrug of his shoulders

"So where is he?" James asked sounding a bit agitated. He was starting to lose his patience.

"I dunno..." Edward mumbled.

James nodded his head with frustration before turning to me "Sort him out for Christ's sake. He's acting like a bloody child." I rolled my eyes and smiled before I took his arm to walk him to the door.

James stopped suddenly to face Edward. "Oh and Edward…" Edward snapped out from his daze to look up at James. "She's not ya wife yet," James said, knowing full well that that last comment would rile Edward to no end.

Now that the door was shut I marched back towards the kitchen to confront Edward. He was at the fridge mumbling to himself as he pulled out plastic containers of leftovers before rummaging around for cutlery.

"What the hell is your problem?" I demanded, my arms tightly folded across my chest. I tried to keep my voice down but his attitude pissed me off.

"My problem is you forgot to mention what kind of training you'll have to do," he shouted throwing the fork he had just retrieved from the draw onto the work surface.

"What?" I was completely mystified as to what he was talking about. Was he accusing me of something? "Hang on." I reached over and grabbed his hand that was now furiously buttering a slice of bread "What are you saying? Am I to blame for something?"

"Waxing and making yourself look fit…sexy dresses and stuff...is that part of your training?" he asked in a sharp tone of voice.

I sighed as I pulled my hand back. "Edward you're not making any sense."

"You're going too deliberately flirt with God knows who while I stand back and watch. I don't think so. Uh-uh no way," he said shaking his head. "So you can forget it...all this preparation crap you're not doing it. End of..."

"End of?" I asked calmly. As I raised a questioning brow "You want me to back off? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes!" Our eyes locked, neither one of us blinking. I watched as his jaw stiffened. His lips were tightly closed but I knew he was gritting his teeth. I moved quickly away and left the room. My feet taking the brunt of my fury as I frantically made my way to the office. I hastily rummaged through the files that were scattered on the desk before I found what I was looking for.

"Here you go!" I barked. I returned to stand next to Edward. A fleeting look of worry passed his eyes and I roughly opened the file for him to look at.

"This man..." I pointed hard at the black and white photo of a slim man who was talking to Caius, the owner of the diamond and the man we were going to rob. "He's Caius assistant and _he_ is as bent as they come," I said aggressively. I swiftly gathered up the contents of the folder before shoving it against Edward's chest. He stumbled back slightly from the unforeseen force of my temper and gingerly held the file to his chest as his eyes that were still on me widened.

"Don on your tight jeans Edward, you've just been promoted," I said sarcastically before storming out.

The heat of the water hit the knot on the back of my neck and I sighed with relieve as I felt the tension slowly evaporate. I had a while before Charlotte would wake from her mid day nap and being that I was stubbornly furious with Edward, I was in no rush to be in his company. I held the palm of my hands flat against the cold tiles with my arms stretched out and my head dropped forward. I was in the perfection position to feel the full force of the strong current of water that was pounding against my neck. I closed my eyes and took in the scent of vanilla.

I heard the sound of movement beyond the peace I was trying to get to and I took a deep breath to calm me down. The glass door slowly opened exposing my hot wet skin to the bathroom air and I shuddered from the interruption. I didn't move from my position though my heart was racing with curiosity.

His naked body felt cold against my heated skin and a shiver filtered down my spine. His breath bounced off the curve of my neck as he stepped closer, his chest gently touched my back.

"I'm...I'm sorry." His words were whispered against the side of my face, his lips near the curve of my ear. In unison his hands reached my hips.

"Please forgive me, you know my jealousy is my weakness," he muttered. His lips skimmed across the back of my neck. Small peppered kisses travelled across my shoulders as he tightened his grip on my hips. A moan of contentment left my lips.

"Please don't be mad," he begged. My breath hitched as one of his hands moved across my stomach. My muscles clenched as his soft slow touch made me feel weak and unable to stand.

"I'm...I'm mad at you Edward." It sounded convincing and believable in my head but now that my desire was stirring I wasn't so sure.

"I know." He pushed against me, his hands pressed against my stomach so I could feel the full effect of him against me. "I lost my temper. I don't know this side of you, this is all new to me." I groaned in response to his touch. His fingers now tangled in between my legs. "I don't know how to be when you become someone else." My arms tensed as I felt my weight start to subside, as his fingers pushed forward.

I hissed as his slow stirring finger reached my clit. My hands pushed against the tiles as I tried to refrain from responding. I was still mad with him and though I wanted this, I wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"God...You feel good." His raspy voice sent another influx of shivers speeding down my spine. His finger picked up the pace and I gasped, while his other hand that had been stroking my hip moved painfully slow up towards my breasts. The peppered kisses from a moment ago had turned into tender nibbles on my hot skin. My breathing began to slow down, the heavy weight of my lungs expanding as I tried to control my excitement. My eyes fluttered as I felt the friction that I needed increase and I leaned back slightly to feel him close to me.

"Bella."His voice was willing me on, the deepness of his fingers inside me made me groan and just as I felt myself go I cried out his name. Seconds fell into minutes as I felt his chest sway against my back, his own arousal wanting attention. I gained control of my uneven breath and lifted my head up. My hands felt the rough grit between the tiles as I fumbled for smooth cold chrome. I turned the mixer taps sharply and the sound of gushing water instant stopped.

"What...what are you doing?" he asked. He sounded baffled by my action as I opened the shower door and stepped out. I reached for a towel as I heard his padded footsteps follow closely behind me.

Without a word from me I straightened myself up and wrapped the warm white fluffy towel around my body before heading through the door and into our bedroom to pick up the phone that was on our bedside cabinet. His face was a mixture of concern and confusion. His eyes darted from me to the phone as he watched me toss it in his direction. He caught the handset without flinching. His body shined from the water that trailed down his naked body. I deliberately swayed my hips as I walked back towards him. I pushed against him, my face so close I could feel his breath. His still hard dick bounced gently against my thigh. He tilted his head slightly, readying himself for a kiss.

"Apologise to Emmett and James, or the next time you take a shower Edward, it'll be a cold one..."

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**Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello!**

**This is a four chapter story. A thank you, shall we say for all your support.**

**It's a scrummy cocktail. A shot of fluff, a dash of sexing and a triple sec of drama.**

**I love me a strapped up Edward! **

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**Stolen HeART**

**Practice**

**Bella...**

"In my defence if you'd told me about your past none of this would've happened."

We were lying on our side facing each other with Charlotte sandwiched between us. Edward was gently rubbing Charlotte's belly, she had woken soon after we had got into bed. Although she was over the worst of the cold she had caught a few days ago, she was still in need of a few snuggles of comfort from Edward and me. Her rounded belly moved up and down and you could still hear the slight tail end of a wheeze whenever she exhaled. I gently stroked her whispery fringe, her cheeks solid balls of red the result of her teething.

After the cold shoulder from me for most of the afternoon, Edward reluctantly called Emmett and James and apologised for his childish behaviour. I could hear the choice words from Emmett down the phone line as I tried to pretend I wasn't listening as I got Charlotte's tea ready. Edward composed himself as he agreed with Emmett about his actions earlier on. He promised that at the next meeting he'd supply the beers as a token of apology.

The moment he placed the phone in the charger he sheepishly made his way over to me. He laced his arms around my waist as he begged and pleaded for forgiveness in a childlike voice. When I didn't budge he picked up a bewildered Charlotte who was happily crawling around the kitchen floor and mimicked his voice through her, it was my downfall.

"I love you." I looked up from staring at Charlotte and smiled over at Edward. His eyes were bright even in the dim light of our bedroom and even though it had only been a couple of months. The training was starting to pay off.

"I love you too." My hand left our daughters warm cheek to touch the side of Edward's face.

"I don't however love germs," he said in a matter of fact tone.

"Germs?"

"If our daughter was germ free, she'd be in her cot and you wouldn't be so far away." Charlotte flinched suddenly from my loud laugh and Edward leaned in to sooth her, her tiny thumb automatically went back into her mouth and she sucked furiously before a small sigh left her tiny body.

I watched him closely as he lovingly looked down at Charlotte. My heart always swelled when I witnessed moments like these. The open love he had for his daughter was often overwhelming; the passion in his eyes would light up whenever she was nearby.

"This is going to work isn't it?" I pulled back my focus and took in the fear that was clouding his contented features from a moment ago.

He looked worried almost scared, his mouth slightly opened and his eyes waited readying himself for my answer. He looked lost almost broken from the thoughts and scenarios that were probably swirling around in his mind. Without saying a word I lifted Charlotte up and took her back to her cot. I returned moments later, Edward still as he was from my brief absence. His chest bare and exposed from the turned down sheets. I pulled at the hem of my favourite shirt that belonged to Edward and without undoing the buttons I pulled it off over my head. His only reaction was the change in his breathing. A deep, gravelly moan left his lips that he'd just moistened and I eagerly moved onto the bed.

My thighs rested on either side of him, his hard toned thighs against my soft moistened skin. I painstakingly pulled down his bottoms. His eyes never left mine as I watched the change in his face go from deep concern to open desire. The feral moan that left him made me stir with excitement and as he kicked the loose material from his feet I leaned in to kiss him. The teasingly slow kiss lingered as I nibbled on his bottom lip. His hands unhurriedly trailed up the side of my body and he hesitated when he reached the curves of my breasts. No words were spoken just the intensity of love seen through the eyes of one another.

His hands gently cupped my breasts to knead them as I rubbed myself against him. The friction between our legs built and as he craned his neck to kiss me I bent forward to retrieve the kiss. His hands trailed along my arms and his stare intensified as he watched his own fingers stroke my skin. I watched his eyes change from the sparkling green of an emerald, his pupils dilated like the blackness of night.

I lifted his hand from my skin and pushed it back against the soft white pillow he was laying on. Our palms locked into place and our fingers weaved together like the knit of a blanket. He responded by moving his other hand to the side of his head and I linked my hand with his much like a moment ago. My grip was tight against his fingers as I pushed him against the pillow. My face ghosted above his as our hands tightened. My hips moved ever so slightly before sinking down onto his erection and we both sighed in unison as the pent up friction began to slow down.

He gasped as I gradually moved my hips, slowly from side to side, not wanting to feel any loss from him being inside me. I deliberately took my time delaying the moment. His willpower was fading as the weight of desire pushed him further against the pillow his fingers gripped mine like a vice. My head dropped forward, my body overcome with greed to have him. I teasingly lifted my hips at a painfully slow pace. The loss of him deep inside me caused a deep ache in the pit of my stomach. Even though I felt my own body's impatience I still deliberately took my time before I pushed against him once again.

A wave of completeness washed over me as once again I felt the fullness of him. I watched his face contort, eager for more than just the torment of my tease. I brought the pace forward and began to find a rhythm, my breath gasping as I pushed down hard against his arousal. The pleasing pain of pleasure as he twitched inside me, his own muscles clenching as I increased the speed against my clit. My mouth was slightly open and I bit the corner of my lip to still my frantic need, the pressure was growing too fast and I lifted my head as I gasped.

"I can't wait...Edward." My clit was swollen from the throbbing of reaching the end and as Edward held my hands he dragged me back to face him. His kiss reached my lips as I felt him come with me. An overwhelming feeling of love raced through my body and for a while afterwards I held his kiss for as long as possible. My skin was warm and damp our hands still linked as my breast rubbed against his chest. I shuddered as I felt my nipples harden again. I moved my head to the side of his face my cheek rested against his jaw and I could feel his skin prickle with goose bumps from my breath hitting the lobe of his ear. I wanted to stay like this forever. Our closeness brought us strength and overflowing love and I caught my breath overcome with emotion.

"You're my soul Edward."

**Edward...**

"Hold on." The sheer force of the speed I was going turned my stomach and as I pulled the cord I felt the strong pull against my ribs.

"No...Jesus, Edward, listen to what I tell you." I lifted my head from the rubber matting that had protected my clumsy landing and I silently cursed my stupidity. "What part are you not getting?" I looked up to see a furious Alice standing a few yards back shaking her head in disbelief. I stole a glance to my left to see Bella nervously staring at me while she nibbled at her fingernail. She sighed as James whispered something in her ear and she nodded in agreement.

I'd fucked up. Again!

This was the second day in a row that the four of us had been cooped up in this old disused warehouse. I was suspended from a piece of rope that was attached to the high ceiling above and Alice was barking orders because her patience had run out several hours ago. I'd lost count of the times I had done this and to be honest, I was just as fed up as the rest of them. The safety helmet was causing my head to sweat which in turn was making my scalp itch. The hours of training I had put in with Emmett had been a walk in the park compared to this. This was a fucking nightmare. It was all well and good that I was in great physical shape but when it came down to the stealth-like manoeuvring that would be expected of me in the laser censored room I was going to fail.

"I give up...someone else try for Christ's sake." I watched Alice walk away in a huff; her head constantly shook as she muttered under her breath. I stood up and looked down at the harness that was across my chest. I should have mastered this by now. Hanging from a piece of cord hovering above the diamond, that was my brief. I was going to be suspended from the ceiling and lowered down, it sounded easy.

The sound of clanking clips and whirling rope caught my attention and I looked over at Bella to see her stepping into a harness. Her fingers worked quickly, much quicker than mine as she tugged on the cord and tightened the straps that covered her body. She casually picked up a helmet from the large holdall before walking towards me.

"James winch us up," she ordered. Without saying a word to me she stood in front of me and roughly grabbed the front of my harness. I stumbled towards her as she clipped the front of her pirate screw lock to mine. I staggered from her frustration as she forcefully pushed and pulled me into position. We were inches from each other, our bodies so close I could feel her chest rise and deflate. Her eyes focused on the task at hand, her mouth slightly parted as she began to nibble on her bottom lip.

With the slackened rope in her hand we started to tilt. Within seconds we were levitating, me facing down and Bella beneath me facing up. The grinding sound of the machine echoed around the empty space as we were lifted up high towards the point of the roof all I could feel was the cool air around us and the sound of us breathing. Her eyes never left mine, her anger displayed openly in her deep brown eyes. If she hadn't been so mad this would've been hot! I wanted desperately for her to touch me, to hold my hips or to swing her legs around me. Her hands were purposely gripping the secure lock and the free flowing rope. I wasn't focusing on the techniques or the rules of what I should be memorising. She was beneath me and her wild temper would appear every time she blinked and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her hard.

The sudden jolt and then the sense of freefalling took over and the whoosh of air seemed to engulf us both as we soared through the air. The speed was unnerving and I reached out to grip Bella's hips, her eyes still on me. "Bella, Jesus...the floor we're going to hit the floor." I was panicking as I looked over her shoulder and saw the floor fast approaching. With a jerk that took my breath away the sound stilled and the thick emotion of fear swirled around my head. There was no rippled movement from the force of our abrupt stop only silence and complete stillness. Seconds passed before the screw lock clicked as the last foot of space between Bella and the floor disappeared she was on the floor with me lying on top of her. Her breathing was shallow unlike mine. I panted from the result of my nervous, my heart still raced as she expertly dismantled her safety clip from me. Before I had time to register what had just happened, she had flipped me over and was standing up.

"You don't expect me to learn that do you?" I shouted out as I struggled to stand up and gain my balance. The tension in the air was thick as I watched her walk away from her flaunting display "Hey!" I shouted to get her attention.

She turned quickly to face me her hair loose and dishevelled from the helmet she'd just taken off. "No, Edward. I expect you to learn something far easier than that," she spatsat back. I took off my helmet and glared at her. My body straightened up as I felt my own temper of frustration surface.

"Don't talk to me like that. I'm not one of your patsies." She was in front of me before I could retract the comment. Her eyes that were glued to mine were full of rage and her fist was clenched against the side of her thigh

"Listen and listen good," she hissed through gritted teeth "When we're in this team you do as I say." Her other hand hovered between us as her finger began to point at my chest. "This training is your safety net. You fuck it up and we all go down. Do you understand me? This isn't some fucking extreme sport we're doing here. You're the one that's going in to retrieve the diamond. If you trip a censor, we're done for." She turned to walk away from me, but I caught her elbow. I spun her round to face me. Her own fury probably mirrored mine now. Her mouth was slightly open ready for another verbal attack.

"Just remember who you sleep next to at night, Bella," I growled.

"I do, Edward. That's why I have to make sure you come home to me." Her tone was different from a moment ago the genuine sincerity of her soft and caring voice threw me slightly. Her eyes glistened from tears that were ready to fall. I let go of her arm as the realisation of what had just happened seemed to fill my thoughts. I watched her silently walk over to her bag and jacket, collecting her belongings she whispered to James who followed her out the building.

"Ready?" Alice said. I'd forgotten she was still here. She smiled sympathetically before standing in front of me and checking my harness.

"She's got a lot more to lose this time around, Edward." I sighed as I watched Alice get me ready for the next go. My eyes wondered over to the door that Bella had just left from.

"Yeah, I get that now," I mumbled feeling the unfamiliar feeling of guilt rush over me.

**Bella... **

The board that Jasper had fixed to the wall of the dining room was now covered with every conceivable piece of information we had on Caius. Photos spanning the last six months of surveillance of credit statements and financial profiles showed that he had obvious weaknesses. Weaknesses for women, fast cars and gambling were a few of his favourites. He spent a lot of time at the Black Jack tables and his passion for horses was growing. With his dossier in my hand I sat down and began to research his background and lifestyle.

After this afternoon's session at the warehouse with Edward, I went straight home foregoing the meeting with Emmett and Rose. They were happy to get an unscheduled day off. We had planned to go over the trace settings and cloning devices that I'd be using on the night of the heist but with a thumping headache and the need to spend time with Charlotte, I rescheduled the meeting for tomorrow. I waved them off and made a beeline for my daughter.

Charlotte squealed at the mess she was making with her puréed broccoli and carrots, which once again was everywhere but her bowl. I calmly sat down and tried to focus on the file that was sitting in front of me. I smiled lovingly over at Charlotte who was starting to string syllables together and sounding out letters. Now that she had learned to walk her legs were constantly moving even when she was sitting down.

She was caught by the shine of the silver bangle that Edward had brought me for Christmas and within seconds she had dropped her spoon and was reaching for my wrist. I shuffled nearer so she could reach and while she tugged and pulled on the piece of jewellery I started to read what I had on Caius.

My attention soon turned back to my daughter who was now wriggling in her seat to get out. Her large green eyes stared back at me and her chubby cheeks moved furiously as she gnawed down on her gums. I smiled and picked her up as she snuggled against my shoulder; her messy face clean from the excess of her dinner which was now on my blouse which was a habit I could see was quickly forming. Taking her up to her bedroom I picked up the changing mat and placed it on the floor. Her exclamation of excitement came out in a gurgled laugh and I leaned over her face to plant a sloppy kiss on the side of her cheek. I laughed with her as I tickled her belly and sides.

"Ah, there are my girls."

I looked over towards the door and saw Edward leaning against the door frame. His bright eyes matched his daughter's and I smiled unsure of how things sat with us.

"Hey baby girl," he said as he kneeled alongside us. She wriggled from my grasp before I could secure the clean diaper as she turned herself over. It was her Dad that she now wanted. Her small hands clawed at his jeans as she crawled up the front of his thighs Edward didn't seem to mind that she was naked.

"Da da da," she said. Her chin was wet from dribbling as Edward pulled her in for a quick cuddle before he lifted her in the air. His arms stretched out high above his head as she swayed from side to side above his head and her belly chuckles filled the room. Both Edward and I laughed along with her.

"You look tired," he said as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ears. I snuggled into his cupped hand and closed my eyes. Charlotte had been satisfied by the attention she had gotten from Edward and was now busy chewing on one of her books that she had found poking out from under her cot.

"I've had a hard day," I whispered. I shuffled over towards him and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.

"You and I both honey. My boss! What a bitch!" I looked up coyly as he winked at me before a devilish smile appeared on his face.

"Really?" I questioned mockingly. "Well, you know what women are like in a position of power," I said as I smirked.

"Come here" he ordered in that sultry voice that always made me quiver. I yelped as he lifted me up and placed me over his thighs. He lifted a brow when he saw my skirt rise up. "Now that's a welcome home!" he whispered against my ear before moving in and nuzzling against my neck. I took in a slow deep breath as his hand reached the collar of my blouse.

"Why don't I make us some dinner, open some wine and carry this on once we've put Charlotte to bed?" I suggested. I felt like jelly as he kissed and nipped behind my ear,

"No can do..." he muttered in between his teasing. "I have homework!"

"What!" I pulled back to gage his reaction.

"Now that I've accomplished and mastered the art of hanging from a piece of rope, Alice has moved me on to the more stable part of my training,"

"She has?" I smiled with relief. Alice had texted me earlier to let me know that once I had left Edward had thrown himself into getting it right and by the sixth attempt he had gotten the hang of it. They spent the rest of the afternoon practicing and improving his technique and by the time they were ready to leave he was there.

"Yes, technically known as reading."

"Oh, honey," I said pouting. "No more fun?" I reached up to brush his hair away from his eyes.

"Nope, not until Friday, but the good thing is I get to spend my time at home."

"Hmm that I like," I muttered against his lips.

* * *

**Thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for reading. The final chapter will go up two days from now, on Thursday.**

**I want to thank Katydid2363 for all her help. A wonderful woman with a nice rack! (Just checking to see if she reads the A/N)**

**I'm going to reply to every review once I've posted the last chapter.**

**Have a good week!**

* * *

**Stolen HeART: ****The Rookie**

**Planning**

**Bella...**

With the basics now covered and a shift in change we settled into a new routine. Four months in and we were all aware of our roles and what we needed to do. The auction had been brought forward due to the frenzied press and the infamous Caius and his playboy ways.

James and Edward were working closely together, planning routes and practicing for every eventuality. I spent time building up a fake portfolio that mirrored my internet image. Alice had been meticulous about my image and with the press of a button the list of websites that were linked to my bogus background was endless. The last year and a half away from this world had been miraculously filled with fake information and photo shop pictures. I was slowly making small leaps into this world for real, appearing at grand events and opera galas, always on my own and always looking my best.

Though Edward was slowly accepting this part of the job, he still found it difficult to watch me openly get ready for an evening out as Maria Swan. He would question every detail from the stockings and garters I would wear to the low cut dresses that Alice had picked out. The only plus side to this usually stressful few hours before the event was his urge to claim me at every opportunity, often taking me as I showered or pushing me against the front door as I readied myself to leave. He would incite how sexy I looked as we franticly fucked with minutes to spare before the car would arrive, though at times I sensed that it was more about his jealously and the need to leave a lasting impression rather than the fact that I looked hot!

Summer had been and gone. We celebrated birthdays and holidays as a family. Our small family unit had expanded and on special occasions we would head back to Esme Island when we needed a break or when the urge to see Charlie became too great. With only two weeks to go until the heist we all began to take what little time we had together very seriously.

"You okay?" I looked over at Edward who was arranging the dining table for our next meeting. My thoughts had been elsewhere before he had spoken and though I had initially come in here to organise and set up the room I found myself distracted by the view of our snowy garden.

"Hmm...I'm fine, just thinking." I reassured him with a smile before I pulled myself together. I made my way back to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee and to plate up the pastries and croissants. The familiarity of all our meetings stayed the same, we would gorge on sweet pastries for the first few hours then I'd head for the kitchen to prepare us all lunch.

"Okay!" Alice spoke a bit louder to get us to order. Though things had changed for all of us in our personal life our professional life had not. Alice still dished out the research folders and individual responsibilities. I still sat at the top of the table demanding a level of understanding. I questioned everything that I had concerns with and hashed out any niggles that I felt unnecessary. The only one missing from our regular team was Jasper. With very little background knowledge in the diamond world, it was decided that he would sit this one out. With a huge sigh of relief from Carlisle and Esme, Jasper had decided to stay at home on the island and look after the kids.

"Bella?" I looked up from my scribbled memos and took in the faces around me. The change though different also felt familiar and for the first time in a long time I began to feel the first stirring of excitement. As a team we had grown, we had new challenges this time round and with that brought a feeling of adventure.

"Em, let's start with you. The status on the London side, an update please?" I flicked open the file in front of me and scanned through the notes that Emmett had submitted.

"Right, we leave here on Saturday bound for London. Rose starts at the auction house on Monday. That first week will be about setting up communication levels between Alice and me." I glanced over at Alice who nodded in agreement before returning my attention back to Emmett.

"The intercom and communication system that we need to communicate with each other will be in place by Thursday of that week. The phone system, the alarm panel and whatever else is governed by a computer will be live and ready for Alice."

"Alice, how long will it take you to hack into their system?" I asked.

"There's an hour difference between here and London so the moment Emmett gives me the nod I'll start intercepting firewalls and encrypted codes. By the early hours of Friday morning I'll be settled into their frame work, ready to pounce." She smiled and I gestured for Emmett to continue.

"Friday Alice will administer the first wave of faulty alarm hoaxes to the main grid of their security panel this will run intermittently into Saturday."

"Alice will intercept the emergency call out to the security company that is responsible and I will arrive later in the evening to rectify the problem."I watched as he ticked of his notes as he went.

"Good, good." I added a few comments to the page in front of me before returning my attention back to Emmett "Once you're in you'll set all the planned bugs, audio and visual, right?" I asked.

"Yep."

"Um..." I looked over at Rose who was now sitting forward and waiting to speak, her pencil rolled back and forth franticly between her fingers and at that moment she reminded me of Jasper.

"Yes Rose?"

"Emmett mentioned that he may need some help in placing all the bugs. I was wondering if I should step in and help." I watched her closely as she looked around the room for any sign of support before I turned back to Emmett. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his head down avoiding my questioning stare.

"Emmett?" He tried to act surprised by Rose's offering, but he was never a good liar.

"Are you concerned about your role? Because if you need any support we can bring someone in," I asked flatly ignoring Rose.

"No, no I'm fine...I think Rose may have gotten her wires crossed," he muttered sheepishly.

"But you said that..." She looked from Emmett to me and then to the rest of the team. Her face blushed with embarrassment before looking back at Emmett. "Em you said that..." She glared at Emmett who looked everywhere but at her. She was clearly disappointed in Emmett's decision and I briefly wondered how she was coping with this change. She had such fire and passion when she was caring for my father and it was obvious how much she had loved her job. She had sacrificed just as much if not more to be a part of Emmett's life and the world that he lived in.

I turned to look at the rest of the group. Edward was wide eyed with shock at the way I had just handled Rose. James, who had heard it all before, was drawing doodles on the corner of the page, bored at the slow pace we were going. It was Alice that took me by surprised, her huge smug smile plastered across her face. I raised a brow with curiosity only then realising that it was relief that she was displaying, relief that this time around it wasn't her in the firing line.

"Edward?" I shifted in my seat to focus on Edward. He shuffled forward and nervously glanced at James before he looked at his notes.

"Alice and James have signed off on my training. I've got the drop down to nine seconds." He stalled slightly before looking up at me.

"Okay, go on." I showed no sign of personnel emotion, no pleasing smile or pleasant wink that I was happy that Edward had finally mastered the drop. I chose instead to reach for the pot of coffee.

"James and I are in the process of memorising the layout of the air con tunnels along with timing our movements."

"And when will that be completed?" I asked.

"Um...maybe tomorrow."Edward sounded unsure and I narrowed my eyes to challenge him. He turned to James for verification.

"Maybe? What does that mean?" I questioned. I looked from Edward to James who was sitting back in his seat. Edward looked over his shoulder at James.

"Tomorrow," James coolly replied as he leaned forward so he could see me.

"For sure?" I queried.

"For sure," James replied. We kept our eyes locked in a battle of wills and a few moments later James relaxed back against his chair.

"Alice?" I nodded over towards her. She seemed amused by the drama down on this end of the table. She stood up and with the remote in her hand flicked on the plasma screen.

"Okay, once Emmett has access to the building he will plant the following bugs, visual and audio, in these areas." I put on my glasses and watched the monitor change. The blueprints that I had been studying had now been digitally altered to incorporate the placing of the bugs. Small arrows directed the flow and the triangles represented the security guards that would be located at strategic points.

Alice pressed the switch again and the blueprints for the air con tunnels came forward. "Edward and James will go through this air vent here. Emmett would've swept these main corridors leading to this air vent when he first arrived disguised as the alarm engineer."

I took off my glasses and without thinking nibbled on the arm. "Emmett?" I said as I turned away from the screen to look at him. "What time are the bar staff arriving?" I asked.

"They're scheduled to be there for 2:00 pm. The first few hours I'll be setting up the bar and then the organisers will arrive at four. I'll be able to disappear then and start the last and final sweep to make sure there have been no last minute changes to the security team. I know the layout pretty well so an hour max is all I need." I nodded and returned back to the screen.

"We'll all be open to communication via ear piece, correct?" I confirmed.

"Yeah. Well, that is until we hit the switch change over." Alice reminded me.

"We'll come back to that." I waved it aside before turning my attention to Rose.

"Rose arrives for her shift." I confirmed. I smiled over at Rose and she responded with a relaxed grin.

"She'll be liaising with security and Caius. She'll be our eyes and ears if anything changes. Once Emmett returns after the sweep, Rose will pick the security pass from Caius. He has the only pass that allows access everywhere, level five." Rose had trained hard to learn how to pick a pocket. When she wasn't being coaxed by Emmett, she trained in her spare time often using us as guinea pigs much to Edward's annoyance.

"Rose will make her way over to the bar with the security pass where Emmett will clone it. She'll return the original back to Caius's pocket, leaving the clone with Emmett ready for you Bella." I nodded with satisfaction before making my way to where Alice stood.

When I reached Alice, she handed me the remote and I changed the screen with it.

"The changeover will allow Alice a window of thirty seconds. In that time we can access the holding room without being detected." I changed the image once again to the holding room that held the diamond.

"This room is rigged with eighty-two lasers. They are all set three inches apart from each and arranged from wall to wall. They're criss-cross in design and leave no room for manoeuvring. The moment Alice gives me the five minute window I'm to excuse myself from the party and make my way to this corridor." I pointed out the side corridor that runs parallel with the kitchen and utility rooms.

"From there I can access the holding room. It'll take four minutes and twenty seconds to reach. Ten seconds later Alice will have full control of the security system."

"Who's covering your back?" I had barely finished the last sentence when Edward jumped in. His face was full of concern and his words sounded serious. No trace of his earlier nerves, now he was focused and taking it all in.

"Emmett and Rose will cause a distraction if I have trouble getting to the holding room and Alice will direct me if there's a diversion." He leaned forward and propped his elbow up on the table, the corner of his mouth and chin nestled in the palm of his hand. He watched me closely as I scanned the rest of the team. My throat was suddenly dry as I tried to ignore the feeling of awkwardness at Edward scrutinizing my every word.

"Once I'm in the room the lasers will be turned off, leaving Edward and James to enter from the air vent above. I'll be next to the plinth waiting for Edward to descend so we can carry out the swap."

I pulled up another screen which displayed the design of the plinth. "The diamond will be displayed on this." I enlarged the screen and moved nearer to the image

"What are the risks?" Edward mumbled against his palm.

"There's only one risk." I spoke with less confidence now and straight away Edward picked up on it.

"What does that mean?" he demanded. It suddenly felt like we were the only two people in the room. I knew the moment I told him the challenge we would face he'd lose his temper.

"The plinth is set by a timer. It's not linked to the security system that Alice will be able to control. We have one attempt to swap the original with the fake. Once the original has been removed we have six seconds to do the exchange. If for any reason the manoeuvre isn't exact or we run out of time, the timer will activate the censors in the room...the lasers will automatically switch back on."

"What?" I bit down on my lip and held my breath.

"This is on me?" Edward looked at me with astonishment

"The timing's down to me?" He jerked back in his seat as he pushed it away from the table with the back of his legs.

"The timings down to all three of us, Edward," I reminded him.

"No it isn't and you know it," he said firmly. "Why didn't you tell me before now? Why did you wait until now?" He moved away from the table, one hand against his chest the other combing through his hair. He looked confused almost panicked with the realisation of his responsibilities.

"You didn't need to be under any unnecessary stress." I walked over to where he paced and stood in his path. I took his hand that lay across his chest and held it against my own.

"Edward, I have every faith in you. Between the three of us we'll do it," I softly said.

"But-"

"We'll do this," I repeated quietly. "I know we will." My body closed the gap between us and he sighed in defeat.

"Trust me," I whispered.

* * *

**Edward... **

Once the meeting was over and we settled down to lunch, Bella put together a platter of antipasti, salad and some rolls she had baked the night before. My appetite was off tilt. The last part of the meeting had taken my full attention and I wasn't up to eating or socialising now that I knew what I was up against. As I picked up a bread roll, I made a mental note to myself to return to the warehouse tomorrow before Bella woke and practice some more.

James, Emmett and I retreated to the conservatory swiping the beers from the fridge and taking them with us. Alice and Bella went back to the dining room to concentrate on Bella's meeting with Caius and Rosalie jumped at the chance of looking after Charlotte. She had taken her to the park across the street.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Emmett mentioned. The three of us were sitting in the conservatory, the French doors wide open allowing the cool air to swirl around us. James sat and relaxed in the soft leather armchair. His cigarette teetered on the edge of the ashtray while he loosely held his beer that rested on his knee.

"Well that's French beer for ya," James replied as he lifted the bottle to his lips.

"No, not the beer, this." He waved his bottle between the three of us indicating some sort of pact. I stole a glance at James who rolled his eyes.

"What are you talking about Em?" I asked, taking a swig of beer to stop myself from laughing.

"Be careful how you answer that? You know too much thinking gives you heartburn!" James jokingly warned.

"Ha ha, very funny. I was actually thinking that the three of us all have one thing in common."

"Oh yeah, what's that then?"

"Well, Edward wishes that I was you, James. And you, James, wish you were Edward. That's weird right, this whole Bella connection?" I looked over at James who was now moving uncomfortably in his seat. A tight embarrassed smile appeared on James' face when he caught my glance. I was stunned into silence, my mouth slightly open, completely astonished by Emmett's mentality. He sat laid back in his chair, relaxed and oblivious to the can of worms he had just opened. And this was the guy who was our surveillance expert!

"Right," James said slowly as he lifted his beer to his lips. "That's not helping much, Em," accused James.

"I'm just saying…"

"Yeah well, don't," I chimed in.

"If things had been different..."

"What part of this are you not getting?" I asked impatiently. He shrugged his shoulders and muttered something under his breath before I turned back to the view of our garden.

The heavy weight of silence disguised the big white elephant in the room as I took the time to reflect on how Bella and I had met. There were times even now when we were all seated around our dining room table discussing strategies and plans that I would wonder if this was how it was when it was me they were conning. If I wasn't part of this heist who would be responsible for the drop? Who'd lower themselves into a room full of lasers and swap over a diamond that was just about to be auctioned off? Would it be James and Bella working together or just Bella on her own?

"Hey dreamer, another beer?" I pulled back from my thoughts and turned to look at James.

"Um, yeah. Sure why not?" I sounded a bit distant and he tapped my knee to reassure me before standing up. I looked over at the empty chair that Emmett had been sitting on and I frowned to myself wondering if I had upset him.

"Hey, take no notice of Em. His mind is...well, not programmed like ours." He sat back down and faced me. The sun cast a stream of light in his direction and he squinted from the glare. "If she didn't think you could do it she would've taken you out."

"Really?" I asked unsure of his statement.

"Hell, yeah!" He sat back in his seat and lit a cigarette. "Bitch Bella, that's what we call her." I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"What? You thought we were all 'love the one your with' kinda team?" he asked jokingly. I laughed out loud as I took the last swig from the bottle and he chuckled along with me.

"This conversation is for lower management only." He pointed between the two of us and leaned in towards me. I shook my head still slightly laughing. "She's unaware of this nickname, so no pillow talk please?" he said in a low toned voice.

I held up my hands in defeat and relaxed back in the chair. "I promise. I swear this conversation will go no further," I replied.

"She's taken us all out at some point." I sat up straight, eager to listen to James' confession. We both looked up as Emmett entered the room carrying the rest of the beer and without a word he handed us each a bottle.

"I was just telling Edward about Bitch Bella," James said over his shoulder to Emmett

"Phew! Fuck me; she can be nasty in those meetings. Remember when we were doing over the Taylors?" He leaned in to join me and James, who was nodding slowly as the tale slowly came back to him. "Twenty mill worth of sapphire diamonds we were stealing to order and they were sitting in some rusty old safe." He lowered his voice and checked his surroundings before carrying on. "We were ten minutes from breaking in and Bella throws a wobbly."

"Why?" My voice was now just as low as Emmett's.

"Because," James interrupted. "Emmett had the wrong gloves on."

"What!" I yelled and they both instinctively waved their hands warning me to keep my voice down. "Are you serious?" They both nodded yes to my question.

"Pulled the plug," Emmett said as he imitated his neck being slit with his finger. "There and then." He clipped off the bottle top and took a long swig before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "She took my bullocks off that night, fuck she was mad."

"Christ," I said in disbelief.

"She's taken us all off a job at some point or another. That mini tantrum back at the table with her and Rose, that's nothing. Jasper shits himself when he as to attend these meetings," James chimed in.

"Yeah, yeah," Emmett added. "Don't piss her off man," he warned. I bit the inside of my mouth as I looked on.

"Yeah. Yeah I hear you," I said cautiously.

"Hey, there are my boys." We shot forward and all looked up at Bella who stood in the doorway.

Her smile faded and her brow creased. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," we all said in unison.

"Hmm...You all look guilty." She walked behind our chairs and each one of us stiffened as she passed our shoulders before stopping at mine. Her hands draped across my shoulders before sliding down the front of my chest.

"You look the guiltiest," she whispered against my neck before nibbling on my ear. I closed my eyes and clenched the bottle I held. I could hear the sniggers and then the sound of sudden departing footsteps.

"I...I have nothing to be guilty about," I remarked. Her hands travelled further down the front of my shirt hovering over my nipples before continuing. I exhaled a deep breath hoping it would calm my nerves.

"Really! No tales outside of school being told?" The tip of her tongue skimmed against the rim of my ear and I shifted in my seat as my skin shivered with desire.

"No mentions of Bitch Bella?" My body stiffened under her touch and I swallowed hard. She giggled before pulling her hands away as she moved to stand in front of me and smiled. I took her hand and pulled her towards me. Her warm body instantly brought mine to life and she shifted in my lap before leaning against my chest.

"Lottie's back. I was going to fix her something to eat before taking a bath."

"Where's everyone else?" I asked as I twirled a strand of her hair between my fingers.

"Well, being the cowards that they are, Emmett and James have fled along with a bewildered Rose and Alice has just gone to her room to phone to Jasper."

"Charlotte?"

She's still in the stroller playing with the balloon that Rose bought her. Alice said she'd get her ready for bed after I fed her." I pulled her in close and the side of her breast pushed against my chest. I sighed feeling relaxed and calm now that she was in my arms.

"Do you fancy some company in the bath?" I whispered against the top of her head.

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

**Bella...**

I rushed from room to room fluffing pillows and rearranging flowers. The aroma of the meal I had simmering in the oven wafted from room to room and I briefly wondered if I should open a window.

Carlisle and Esme had landed just over an hour ago. Edward, along with Charlotte, had gone to meet them. Though I was excited to see them, I was also feeling very emotional. For the next three days Edward and I would entertain and indulge in their company. At some point Carlisle and I would go through the entire plan and then on the last day I'd get Charlotte's bag ready before Carlisle and Esme took her back with them. Just thinking about it brought tears to my eyes. I glanced at the framed photo of Charlie and me and for the first time as a mother and a parent I totally understood the level of pain Charlie endured. I missed him more at this precise moment than I ever had before.

Esme gently laughed as Charlotte deliberately fell face first against her chest and rubbed her nose on her cream blouse. Moments later she was scrambling towards her shoulder having spotted Esme's dangling earrings. The table in the conservatory was littered with empty plates, used cutlery and screwed up unwanted cotton napkins. The casserole dish was empty; the red wine based stew went down well with everyone, although Lottie pulled a face when her curiosity got the better of her. Edward bowed to pressure when she constantly tried to grab his fork. He spooned a small amount of the juice and brought it to her lips. She eagerly took the offering only to find the taste not to her liking. Her head flinched from the sour taste and her cute face turned into one big frown.

Carlisle and Edward mulled over the economy and the changes that were taking place back in the States. Esme had been occupied with Lottie since she had released her from her car seat a few hours ago and I looked on as my family relaxed around me. I covered my mouth as I discreetly yawned, the long day finally catching up with me. Edward glanced over and winked at me and I smiled back.

"Right missy, I'm passing you back to your mother," Esme said as she stretched out her arms that held Charlotte. I stood up to take her and she wriggled in my arms desperate to get back to Esme. I looked over at Esme and frowned.

"She's tired honey. I think we've all had a long day," Esme noted. I gently bounced her on my hip to curb her frustration. Esme was right, she was tired. Her chubby hands rubbed her eyes as she started to whine. I looked over at Edward who was now clearing the table with Carlisle.

"Take her upstairs Babe; I'll be up in a bit." He leaned over and lightly kissed my cheek.

"Are you sure?" I asked. I didn't want to leave all the cleaning up to Edward his day had been just as long as mine.

"Edward, go with her. Carlisle and I can clean up," Esme offered.

"Don't be silly, you've only just got here." I bent down and picked up a spoon handing it to Charlotte. She silenced instantly and I sighed with relief.

"Bella, we're jet lagged, we'll be up for hours. Now both of you go and put that sleepy grandchild of ours to bed and leave the tidying up to us." I was torn between being the good host and settling Charlotte down. I looked over at Edward, and he indicated to come to him. He opened his arms to take Lottie from me and I kissed the top of her head before letting her go.

Now that she was warm and clean and snuggled against my chest she settled against me while we waited for Edward to bring up her bottle. Her legs no longer kicked against the air. Her fingers fiddled with a strand of my hair and her Disney baby-grow was soft to the touch. Though the lighting in our room was dim, her eyes, like her father's glistened. She was focused on my face as I whispered a soft lullaby. I inhaled that wonderful scent that only babies and toddlers seemed to have.

The door opened slightly and Charlotte craned her neck to see the disturbance. I smiled up at Edward who crawled up the bed and sat behind me, shaking the warm bottle. He released the cap and I settled against his chest before taking it.

"I love this part of the day," he said in a low voice against the side of my face.

"The two most important things in my life so close to me," he said as his hands left the front of my thighs. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed the side of my cheek.

I felt a hint of sadness rise in my chest at the thought of leaving Charlotte, not having her with us. The tears silently rolled down my cheeks and my chest tightened from the deluge of emotions. Edward shifted behind me. His face moved towards me and the tips of his fingers lightly touched my chin.

"Are you crying?" His voice was full of worry and if my hands had been free I would have wiped away the evidence. I nervously looked from under my lashes.

"Baby…Baby, don't cry." I bit my bottom lip to stem the flow of tears as he pulled me in so tight I could feel the stir of a sigh build in his chest. I looked down at Charlotte. Her eyes were now tightly closed, her small mouth no longer sucked on the empty bottle.

"Stay here, I'll take her," he whispered. Before I could argue he had left our bed and moved against my arms to take her. I felt the warmth of her body disappear into the air and as Edward left our room I brought my knees up to my body, pressed my face against the pillow, and cried.

* * *

**Thank you for reading...**

**See you Thursday!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello...**

**Thank you for all your comments and support. Here is the final chapter.**

**So, Aparently Katydid2363 does indeeed read my A/N's. So telling you all that her ass is smokin hot may not be wise!**

* * *

**Stolen HeART: The Rookie**

**Together**

**Edward...**

The first class cabin was virtually empty. The two seats next to me had not been I was any other passenger this generous expanse of space would have pleased me, yet right now I felt like I was suffocating. I inserted a finger into the collar of my shirt to alleviate the tightness around my neck. I couldn't remember the last time I was dressed in a shirt and tie and though it used to be my natural instinct to wear the best quality tailored suits, now I couldn't wait to get out of it.

"Would you like another beverage sir?" I looked up at the well groomed steward before glancing down at my empty glass. I was tempted to say yes to a glass of Dutch courage, the finest scotch that was on board and make it a double. I was holding a fake passport which I'm sure was burning a hole in the inside pocket of my suit jacket. My wallet was full of cards that belonged to a fake fictitious person and my shiny new cell phone had yet to be used. I hadn't prepared myself for this part of the mission, to pretend to be someone else so openly.

"Just water thanks," I answered back. The moment he was out of view, I turned around to look down the aisle. I cursed silently when I saw the dark curtain drawn. I was desperate to see her. I knew I couldn't talk to her and I couldn't pretend to casually bump into her or ask her for the time. But the draw to be near her killed me. I wanted to be close enough to smell her to look into those eyes that captured me back in Seattle. I turned to the window hoping it would take my mind off her.

The clouds were clearing, the shell of the plane trembled for a brief moment, and we started to descend. I couldn't wait until we were off this plane and in the airport terminal. We'd be in the same line queuing to leave, waiting in the same lounge for our luggage to arrive. I'd walk as close as possible, right behind her watching her walk, hips swaying deliberately, because by then she'd know I was watching her . I'd see her and everything will be okay.

Once I watched her climb into the back of the cab, I hailed one myself and did the same. She would be back in my arms soon, back where she belonged. Her hotel was fifteen minutes from the studio flat I was renting so I knew once she had checked in she'd be back outside and heading towards me.

Just as I was about to unzip my case I heard the soft sound of a tap against the door. Leaving the case, I rushed to the door I knew straight away it was her. The moment I released the latch the door flungopened. Her arms wrapped tight around my neck, her body pressed against me. I breathed a sigh of contentment as I melted against her.

"Fuck, oh God, Bella..." I was lost for words, as a tumble of relief seemed to knock me sideways and I felt my eyes moisten. I buried my head in the crook of her neck as my hand weaved up through her hair. I gently pushed her head towards me, her soft strands of hair scattered across my face. I couldn't get enough of her. My restraint faded and I felt the first tear against my cheek. The realisation of what was about to happen in the next few days seemed to weigh heavy on my chest.

Hours passed, the day had slowly changed from the maddening rush of tourists blended in among locals to the casual calm of early evening. We had been in the same position shortly after I broke down. We were lying on the bed turned in and facing each other. Fully clothed and saying nothing. Every now and then I'd reach over and trace a finger across her face and touch her cherry cheeks that reminded me of our daughter. Her eyes relayed worry and concern when she first saw my tears. I wouldn't allow her to ask. I pressed my finger against her lips to stop her questions and she accepted the action before linking her hand through mine. I wanted to tell her I was scared, that I wanted her to walk away if I asked. Looking back and remembering when I first saw her on the island, punishing herself down by the lake. If this all goes wrong what will we do? How will we recover?

The ring of her throw away phone broke the silence. She was reluctant to move at first but when it rung again she shifted and reached out for her bag.

I left the bed and wandered into the small kitchen. Emmett had been kind enough to fill the fridge and I was never more grateful when I spotted a small bottle of whisky on the side. I found a couple of shot glasses and poured us both a drink.

She stayed as long as she could. The sun had gone down and the evening was drawing in. We had held each other in between talking about our future plans and skimming over the next few days. We had cried together and shared moments of joy when we spoke about our daughter. I was full of regret that her first evening out in London wouldn't bewith me, the man she loved.

I left shortly after Bella did and made my way to where James was. The British weather seemed to reflect my mood. The moment I had left the apartment I was faced with a harsh downpour that even the locals who were well prepared seem to have trouble managing. I pulled up my collar and headed across the busy main road towards Hyde Park.

St. James Square Gardens was a fashionable residential address. Its Georgian homes sat neatly around a well maintain private garden. Some of the wealthiest people lived here. It housed its own private security company and a 24 hour concierge on site. This wasn't a temporary over the top statement that James was making, no, this was his home.

James had given me a key card that would get me through the main gates and into the square and as I gently laid it flat against the reader I peered through the gates. The flashy cars of Italian and German makes littered the quiet road because this environment allowed for such glory to be on display.

I followed the walkway passing the well maintained garden that proudly dominated the square. Its gothic statues were lit with strategic bulbs of warm orange. Most of the houses were in darkness. The odd home advertised its wealth by having the rooms alight with brazen intention, no reason to hide their statuswith curtains or blinds.

He opened the door before I'd even placed a foot on the first stepthat led to his front door. The light from behind him spilled out into the night and he walked down thefirst few steps to greet me.

I had never been here before but from what Carlisle had told me his home was a piece of art in itself.

He took my coat and ushered me into the main reception room. He had offered me a drink but I was too caught up and distracted by my deep crimson coloured smooth walls that never seemed to reach the ceiling expanded around the room. The only break of control was the explicit stained glass window that dominated the room. Its church like presenceseemed to unfold as I tilted my head to see where it ended.

He nudged my arm and I turned my head before accepting the drink he had placed in my hand.

James chuckled as he guided me towards the soft furnished armchair. "So, Carlisle didn't tell you about my home?" He tugged at his trouser leg before he lifted his foot and rested it on his other knee.

"No! No he did not. Christ, James." I was still taking in the room, the exaggerated marble fireplace that belonged in a stately home, the antique furniture that my mother would be proud to own. "How wealthy are you, James?"

He laughed as he took a sip from his glass, "I've been around a bit longer than the rest of this team. Charlie, Carlisle and I pretty much made our money before they were old enough to take our place. Though, I have to say being the baby of the group, it took me a long time to learn the value of money." He raised a brow and I laughed.

"Ah yes, fast cars..." I commented.

"And even faster women," he added.

The silence between us was comfortable as I focused on certain aspects of the rooms that James showed me. I'd point out interesting pieces that I even liked and he would explain their history and how he came to own them. It was nice to have some company after the emotional day Bella and I had been faced with. And even though the odd fleeting thought would revert back to Bella, being here had definitely made it easier to bear.

"I spoke to Bella earlier, she's concerned about you." He reached for the decanter and refilled his glass "You don't have to do this you know?"He reminded me.

"I know. I'm just a bit worried that it'll fall through, that I'll not get it done or worse."

"There is no worse Edward, if we see any danger we walk away, that's what we do. We won't risk any one of us."

"I'm not so sure that's Bella's thinking," I snorted.

"She is Charlie's daughter that's for sure, but she's different now. That's probably the one thing that she and Charlie differ on, family." I listened with interest as he poured me another drink.

"Charlie was sometimes blinded when it came to Bella's childhood. He'd drag her with us, often to other countries many times during her schooling. She didn't mind so much back then, the age gap between us wasn't so great. So she'd spend her time hanging out with me, but she missed out a lot on the normal things a kid should have." He spoke the last part of that sentence with sadness and I wandered for a moment if his own childhood was similar.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Edward. I've had a very rich and privileged life. I could've had what Bella and you have many times over.

"Instead you chose this?"

"Instead I chose this." Once again we held each other's stare before he shifted from his seat. He made his way over to the small writing desk and lifted the receiver to his ear. "Annie, we're ready to eat now." I sat back and smirked as he walked back towards me.

"What?" he questioned.

"Is there anything you don't have?" He laughed out loud and I followed behind.

"_Do_ you really want an answer to that question, Edward?"I'm sure I heard a tinge of amusement in his voice.

We spent the rest of the evening jumping from one subject to another. I wasn't a fool. I knew Bella had instructed James to keep me occupied for the rest of the evening. She was out at the many events she'd be attending before the heist, while the rest of us were to sit tight and ready ourselves. It felt odd to me that I was being treated very much like the rest of them. Bella rarely expressed our connection when we were around the table discussing research or equipment with the rest of the team. Her eyes never sparkled if our eyes happened to meet across the table. To anyone outside I was no different than Jasper or James. It worried me that she would awaken during the night and spend hours at that board. Her hand written notes were scattered all over the house. I spoke privately with Carlisle about my concerns and though he put my mind at ease somewhat I was still worried that on the night of the heist she'd do something foolish.

I impatiently pressed the intercom as I tried to straighten myself out. I had overslept by an hour and if it hadn't been for Emmett phoning me constantly I'd still be asleep. We were meant to all meet here at Emmett's place at nine and it was already gone ten.

I raced up the stairs and bounded through the front door that Emmett had left ajar. The room silenced as I skidded around the corner. All of them except Rose, who was working at the auction house, were here. They all sat at the table pens poised and looking at me.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry," I said breathlessly. I rushed past the table and plopped myself down on the empty chair. I looked sheepishly up at Bella who glared back at me.

"I...um overslept," I mumbled. She ignored my excuse and snapped back to look at James.

"It wasn't me." He threw his hands up as an act of submission before she turned back to look at me.

"I left at a reasonable hour. I just...I just add trouble sleeping. I think I finally closed my eyes a few hours ago," I confessed. Her angry expression melted instantly. Her eyes softened as she studied me and she bit her lower lip as a flash of worry appeared on her face.

"I'm fine, honestly." I reached over and tentatively touched her finger. She locked onto my hand and smiled shyly.

A discreet cough from Emmett broke the warm feeling of being close to her and she moved her hand back to her side of the table.

"So let's run through the plan one last time." She sat back in her seat and looked at her notes.

"Emmett's confirmed that all bugs are in place. Alice?"

Alice looked up for the first time since I had arrived. Her fingers feverously glided across the keys. She was monitoring all the camera angles on the four screens in front of her.

"Alice has cleared all visual and audio including our communication pieces. Emmett will be leaving shortly to take up his post." He nodded in agreement.

"James and Edward will head back to James' place and gather up their kits. Alice will remain here to aid in communication between us. She's our safety net." She smiled at Alice who lightly patted Bella's hand.

"Alice will be the first to clear out, once the mission is complete. I've confirmed with Carlisle that the private jet is already on the tarmac. She'll wait there for and Emmett will catch the first flight from Heathrow tomorrow morning and I'm scheduled to catch the first flight from Stansted airport day after that." I looked over at Bella who was watching me. She took my hand once more and focused on our fingers.

"I'll see you on the island then?" I whispered. Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded yes as she bit down harder on her lip, her mechanism for repressing her emotions. She was upset and it pained me to see her like this.

"Baby girl and I will be waiting," I whispered back. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to force back the tears. I released her hand and raced around to where she sat. Pulling her into my arms, I nestled her against my chest. "I love you," I whispered.

* * *

**Bella...**

The lobby was a small affair, no grand architectural statement of history that was rich in these parts of London. It was a modern design double fronted building that could be easy missed if walking past it. The reception room was no different. The even walls were highlighted with petite spotlights that sold like hot cakes at IKEA. The low ceilings seemed to cocoon the room which in turn gave the impression that the few guests who were loitering in the lobby had already filled the cramped room.

I moved swiftly passed the cloakroom and headed towards the main auction house, which had temporarily been turned into the function room. On entering the room I spotted Rose working the room. The silver round tray balanced on the tip of her fingers as she manoeuvred and weaved through pockets of people. I turned to my left to see Emmett tending bar. His head nodded discreetly towards Caius who was holding court. I had no doubt the few _well_ dressed women that were listening intently to his speech had no clue as to who he was.

"_Rose who's the man to his left?" _I touched my left ear that held the communication device and spoke softly against the small broach that was pinned to my dress

"_He's Demetri, head of __Renaissance Technologies."_

I bypassed the waitress who stood nearby and made my way towards the target.

"_Emmett, sweep clear?"_

"_All clear. Edward and James are in the first level of tunnels. 50 minutes on the clock."_

"Demetri...is that you?" I spoke loud enough for him to hear. The groupies moved to the side, allowing me to move in. He looked confused and slightly embarrassed that he didn't recognise me which was just what I was hoping for.

"Darling."I offered my cheek and he nervously stepped forward to kiss the side of my face. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Ms Swan." I held out my hand and without hesitation Caius took it. His lips touched the back of my hand and I smiled down at him.

"It's very nice to meet you Ms Swan." He smiled back and clicked his fingers to get the attention of a waiter. "Let me get you a drink," he offered. I moved closer towards him and leaned into the side of his face.

"Thank you," I whispered in a sexy voice.

Rose appeared with a tray and I took a flute of champagne. She was close enough to slide her hand into his waistcoat and just as a safe guide I moved in further to distract him.

"_Card present Emmett, be ready?" _Rose informed Emmett,I heard him confirm to Rose that he was in position.

"So, Demetri you kept this one quiet," Caius said. We all laughed as I touched his arm with a flirty gesture.

"Oh, I'm sorry to disappoint, but Demetri and I have only met a couple of times. It's strictly business." I licked my lips to capture his curiosity and he smiled seductively.

"_Card cloned. Exchange taking place." _Rose appeared once again and offered yet another glass of champagne to Demetri.

"Are you always 'strictly business' Caius?" I asked in an innocent tone. I glanced at Rose who now walked behind me. The slightest of touches and she had planted the duplicated card in my open clutch bag.

"_Card planted Emmett. Time status?"_ Rose asked.

"_28 minutes."_

* * *

**Edward...**

The thin black pullover was doing little to protect my elbows as I crawled on my front through the tunnel. The first chamber had been wide enough for us to move forward on our hands and knees, but the narrow tunnel that we were now in not only caused me to sweat but the restriction of movement was bringing on cramps. James was close behind. Every now and then he would reach out and touch my foot to get my attention. We'd check our GPS at every turn to confirm our location and monitor our time.

My mind was upturned as I listened in to the conversations that were going on around me, yet the only one that broke through the muddled voices was Bella's. There had been several times when I had to stop and clear my thoughts as she spoke enticingly to Caius. Her words caused a cascade of memories to smack against the front of my skull. How she had used her tone of voice to turn a simple sentence into a suggestion. Her stolen fleeting giggles, though barely a whisper on our audio com system, were hot to my senses.

I felt a familiar tap on my foot and I tuned back to the task at hand. We pulled up to the next left and James checked the GPS. The harness I was wearing was tight against my chest. It was void of all the safety clips and grips that would lower me down, they were in the small pack on James back. We couldn't risk rousing suspicions. Unfamiliar noise through the air vents would cause a heap load of curiosity. We had hardly said a word since we had entered the chambers, only communicating through hand gestures and facial expressions.

"_10 minutes, Bella prepare to exit."_

A sudden flood of panic caught the back of my throat and I felt a wave of nausea follow immediately after. I increased my pace as I checked the GPS watch on my wrist.

"_Alice, confirm the route," _Emmett said.

"_All clear. Bella proceed when ready."_

We were now at our post and with an empty room below us we worked freely to prepare for the drop.

James checked the straps on the front of my chest pulling and tugging the harness. He used the metal casing of the tunnel for support as he forced all his weight on the harness to tighten the rope.

His hands worked quickly, the clips were next. Each one was placed in the right order and the rope that had been wrapped around James' waist was threaded through the safety hooks. As he undid the knot he looked up.

"Are you good?" I nodded yes as I took a deep breath.

"Focus, forget the voices around you." I looked back down at the now assembled harness. The palm of his hand lightly smacked against my cheek to get my attention.

"Edward, look at me?" My head felt too heavy to lift. My heart was racing so fast that the pulse in my neck throbbed against my skin.

"_Bella stay back, stay where you are."_Alice's voice came over the com system and I looked at James for guidance.

"What's going on?What's happening? I was frantic with worry as James indicated to keep quiet.

"Shh...," he held onto my rigid shoulders, forcing me against the wall of the tunnel.

"_Keep the com's clear_. _Alice, it's all yours." _James spoke with no hint of worry as he ordered the rest of the group to stay off the airwaves. I swallowed hard my eyes squeezed shut as I fisted my hand.

"_Alice, left station's not clear. Scope the side corridor, what's the status?" _I filled my lungs with a large gulp of air as I heard her voice. She was so calm no sign of panic or confusion.

"_Bella. It's clear. Proceed, take the first right."_

"_Update on status, Alice?"_

"_6 minutes Bella."_

"_James, get ready?"_

"Focus, she knows what she's doing." His face was so close to mine as he went through a final check. He climbed over my crossed legs and pulled out a small hand drill. The soft hum of the tool rapidly pulled out the four screws that held the grill in place.

"_Bella, next corner all clear. 2 minutes in."_

James assembled the small wrench and secured it against the surface. He clipped his own harness to the loose rope and then moved on to mine.

"Remember your training, go down head first, gain your balance then level yourself out. Okay?"

I glanced at the open space next to my knee the bright intense beams of red filtered through the hole.

"_Bella 30 seconds..."_

"_20 seconds..."_

James pulled me down and my head poked through the hole. I was taught to focus on the diamond below not the surroundings in which it was held.

"_10 seconds. Communication off in…"_

"_7...6...5...4...3...2...1."_

The cord hissed against the friction of the safety clip and I was surrounded by air. Only the spot lights on the wall and the bright light of the display cabinet lit the room. I took a breath and calmed my mind as I mentally washed away all doubts. My body still rocked and I stiffened my limbs to aid my balance. I evened out my head to be parallel with the rest of me and as I slowly descended I tried to keep my breathing steady. The key panel clicked and I knew straight away she was in the room. She hardly made a sound as she made her way towards me. I was half a metre above the diamond, my face so close I could see the multitude of colour dance around the structure of the diamond.

"Ready?"

I looked up to see her in front of me and I instantly felt the last five dramatic minutes fade. She looked no different. She looked serious and so centralized but I could see beneath all that, that she looked like Bella, my Bella.

"Focus, Edward." Her words were stern almost icy.

I reached into the top pocket of the utility vest and pulled out the fake. Her gloved hands hovered over the real diamond. I wiped the fake and positioned it next to her hand.

"Time James?" she asked.

"20 seconds."

"Ready?" she said. Her eyes were wide and full of activity.

"Ready."

With a swift flick of her wrist and the grip of my fingers I lifted the diamond and she swiped her hand across mine. It was a split second of silence as we held our breath.

"Go," she ordered, and just as I glanced at her we both froze.

The soft rumble of sound crept around us. The grinding sound of cogs coming to life pierced the silence.

"Go," she hissed as her cool demure suddenly changed.

"You...you won't be able to get out, I'm not leaving you." The hum of the lasers started to build.

I could feel the hysteria rise within me "Climb up me!" My voice broke as I reached for her arm.

"No. Go, Edward." Her breathing had picked up pace as she turned franticly from side to side surveying the room.

The clicking sound of verification started to illuminate the keypad at the door. My eyes were back on her. I moved forward as much as the rope allowed and stretched out my other hand once again.

"Just grab her, Edward, quick." I could hear James above me.

"Hold on to me. I'm not leaving you Bella I'm not leaving you." I was pleading with her, the strain of my voice breaking with each word. I wasn't going leave her. I wasn't going without her.

"What's happening? Fucking grab her, Edward," James barked.

Panic had shrouded her beautiful face and she dithered before wriggling from my grip. I panicked; she was staying behind, leaving me.

She hesitated for a moment as she looked back at the door she had come from. Before I could object her arms were wrapped around my neck. I instinctively pulled her close to me as I encased her body with mine. Her legs hung for a moment before she drew them up to my waist and wrapped them around my thighs

"I've got you baby...I've got you," I whispered against the curve of her neck.

* * *

**Bella...**

The moment I felt the dry heat against my face my body released all the tension it was holding. My hand gripped the handrail as I carefully stepped from the plane. I was grateful for Alice who had arranged a change of clothes to be left on board. My feet sighed with relieve as they breathed in the fresh air, I was never happier to be wearing flip flops as I was now.

The light material of the beach dress fluttered in the wind causing a wave of cool air to touch my skin and though at first I wasn't too sure of the strapless design I was happy now that she had chosen it. I thanked the pilot who brought down my small case and headed towards the terminal building.

I had a slight feeling that someone would be here to pick me up. When I saw Esme's car parked by the taxi range and her leaning up against it waving furiously in my direction, the huge weight of anxiety I had been carrying around suddenly disappeared.

I rushed towards her. She did the same and we came together in a hug. I sighed against her hair as I held back the tears.

"I've missed you Bella...we all have." She squeezed me tightly before letting me go and before I could object she bent down and picked up my case.

"Come on let's get you home to your family." She wrapped her arm around my waist and led me towards the car.

"So, what's she been up to?" I turned to the side and nestled into the seat ready to take in all her little adventures.

"What hasn't she been up to?" Esme chuckled and I frowned with caution.

"Nothing like that dear, she's been as good as gold." I smiled with relief as she reached over and patted my knee.

"She has this habit that I'm afraid Carlisle taught her."

"Huh, huh."

"Every morning Carlisle likes to sit outside and watch the sun come up, and with you and Edward away, she was rising early."

"Yeah, go on."

"Carlisle got into the habit of looking up at the sky and pointing out birds to her. Now...well now she does nothing but, even when there isn't a bird in the sky." I chuckled as my excitement grew.

"And Edward? Is he okay?"

"Um yeah he's...coping," she said with less enthusiasm. "He's missed you. He came straight from the airport to us. He was missing his baby girl." She turned briefly to me and smiled. "They're on the beach now. Why don't I drop you off and you can see for yourself."

With the soft breeze of the cool wind around me, I smiled to myself as my toes reached the inviting laps of water. The heel of my feet sunk in to the wet squidgy sand and I wiggled my toes to take advantage of the feeling.

With my flip flops back in the car and the warmth of the sand itching at my feet, I kept my feet firmly in the clear cooling water as I walked in the direction of my family.

The sun was still low in the sky; the heat was a comfortable warmth that swept across my bare shoulders. The tranquil peace of the island was interrupted by the soft giggles up ahead. I lifted my hand to my brow to shield my eyes from the sun and to focus my sight on the figure up ahead. I could see her in the arms of Edward, his hand cradled under her bottom, her face facing up towards the sky with her hand out stretched like she was trying to catch a cloud. Every few seconds Edward's hand would sneak up towards under her arm and there would be the sudden explosion of giggles as he tickled her. She'd snap her arm back down only to decide to reach it back up towards the sky a few seconds later.

I laughed as I looked on and as I approached them I could see the design of her flower sunhat and her pink jelly sandals. Her body turned slightly as I looked up to see Edward turning in my direction. His sparkling smile suddenly disappeared as he looked on. I quickened my pace as I saw him bend in closer towards Charlotte's ear. She turned suddenly and pointed in my direction.

"It's mummy." I heard him say just as I reached them. Warm salty tears fell freely down my cheeks.

She squealed as I reached out my hands and she shyly teased me and fell back against Edward's chest. I looked back at Edward. His face was alight with happiness. He pulled me to him with his free hand and before I could regain my balance his lips were on mine.

I felt Charlotte's hand move through my hair as she tried to wiggle from the embrace that Edward had caused. My heart raced with the mixture of excitement and relief as I kissed him back. We only pulled away when Charlotte had run out of patience and the first rumble of a whine left her lips.

I pulled back and watched as Edward brought his hand to the side of my face. "Oh baby, I've missed you so so much." I could hear the satisfied sound in his voice and I smiled before leaning in and kissing him once more.

"Let's go and get married?" he mumbled against my lips. I moved his hand that now sat comfortably on my hip around to the front of my tummy.

His warm lips teased mine as I slowly licked his bottom lip. "The sooner the better I think," I whispered.

* * *

**I'm going to reply to everyone that reviewed my story this evening. **

**I'm researching and editing new plot lines and characters for future stories. So even though I'm not around (though I'm a daily Tweeter) I am writing.**

**Thank you all for reading.**

**Mr and Mrs Masen are signing off now!**


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